Rotary distributor

ABSTRACT

A rotary distributor for slurry pumps and in particular a concrete pump. The pump has an apertured valve member cooperating with inlet and discharge apertures in the housing and alignable to correspond to suction or discharge positions. Sealing means are provided between the housing and valve and are located between inlet and discharge apertures and are displaceable radially inwardly to seal the space between the housing and valve member.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Bechthold Freilierr von Massenbach 78,518 Enggren 230/224 Landstrasse 3, CH-8750 Glarus, Schwelz, 2,056,902 10/1936 Longennecker... 103/227 C Switzerland 2,123,591 7/1938 Siebert 103/227C [21 1 Appl. No. 829,926 2,448,104 8/1948 Longennecker 103/227 C [22] Filed June 3, 1969 2,796,032 6/1957 Ballert 103/227 C [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,178,779 4/1965 Clark et a1. 277/34 Priority Jun@,1968 FORElGN PATENTS 21 3' [684 ,2 493,786 10/1938 Great Britain l37/625.22 1,338,381 8/1963 France 251/172 Primary Examiner-Carlton R. Croyle [54] ROTARY DISTRIB T Arsirtan! Examiner.lohn J. Vrablik 14 l 5 r g 8 Attorney-James E. Nilles 52 vs. C! 417/506, 4l7/5l9,4l7/900,137/625.22,25l/l72 [51] Int. Cl F04b 7/00,

F041) 15/02, F041) 39/08 ABSTRACT: A rotary distributor for slurry pumps and in par- [50] Field of Search 103/227, ticular a concrete pump; The pump has an apertured valve 227 C; 230/224; 417/519, 506, 900; 277/34; member cooperating with inlet and discharge apertures in the HMS-21162546 625-22; 251/172 housing and alignable to correspond to suction or discharge positions. Sealing means are provided between the housing [56] References cued and valve and are located between inlet and discharge aper- UNITED STATES PATENTS tures and are displaceable radially inwardly to seal the space 3,353,783 1 H1967 Bolling 251/172 between the housing and valve member.

r I l INIVENTORI 15/." V0 MASSENJACII yam 27% Attorney ROTARY DISTRIBUTOR This invention relates to a multiway rotary dispenser for a slurry pump and particularly a concrete pump.

The object of the present invention is to provide a multiway rotary distributor which is simple in operation, may be readily serviced and has a minimum number of wearing parts.

The present invention provides a multiway distributor for a slurry pump having a housing, an apertured valve member positioned for part rotary movement therein, apertures in the valve members and cooperating inlet and discharge apertures in the housing and alignable to correspond to suction or discharge positions, and sealing means between the housing and valve member characterized in that said sealing means are located between said inlet and discharge apertures and are displaceable radially inwards to seal the space between the housing and the valve member.

The invention is hereinafter described by way of example with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are axial cross-sectional views of the present invention along the lines 1--l of FIG. 3.

FIG.- 3 is a cross-sectional plan view along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are end elevations of the distributor of this invention along the line 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of FIG. 3.

A housing 1 is provided with a valve member 2 and cooperating elastomeric sealing members 3 which are located at spaced equidistant radial positions around the body 1. The body has mounted on its end coaxial stub shafts 4 and 4', the shaft 4' having a gearwheel 5 mounted thereon. An actuating cylinder 6 in the form of a double-acting hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings with the piston rod 7 arranged so that a rack surface on the latter engages with the gearwheel 5 to impart a part rotary movement to the valve member on operation of the piston therein. The shaft 4 is provided with a groove 8 in which the slotted end of the lever 9 locates.

. The housing 1 includes end walls 10 which are apertured to receive the valve member 2. A funnel-shaped feed hopper 12 is provided on top of the housing and discharge and inlet pipes or nozzles 13 and 14 are positioned between adjacent sealing members 3. The ends 11 and 11' of the valve member 2 are in the same plane as the ends 10 of the housing 1. A pump cylinder 15 is attached to the inlet pipe 14 by means of rods 17 mounted on pins 16 on the inlet pipe. The latter has a conical support face 18 in a flange 19 for quick alignment with the pump cylinder 15.

The sealing members 3 incorporate fluid spaces 20 which are connected to pressurized fluid source through lines 23 so that when pressure is applied to the sealing members they expand radially inwards to seal against the valve member 2. The sealing members 3 are positioned in guides 21 and they have a sleeve part 22 which slides in said guides. The fluid line 23 is connected to each fluid space 20 and is pressurized at the end of each stroke of piston rod 7 and depressurized at the start of each stroke as described hereinafter.

The housing 1 is in the form of a cylindrical shell 24 and the sidewalls of the casing have internal tracks 25 in which sealing rings 26 are locate to abut against the valve member 2. A reinforcing tube 27 extends from the housing around the inlet tube 14.

The end 28 of the sealing member 3 in contact with the valvemember 2 may be reinforced so as to minimize wear. Each guide 21 for the sealing members 3 is provided with an end cap 29. The direction of flow of fluid for expanding the sealing members 3 is shown by the arrow 30.

The valve member has a cylindrical shell 31 with two spaced circumferential openings 32 and 33 which can be located in the housing to align with the feed hopper l2 and the inlet 14 or the inlet 14 and discharge 13 depending on whether the pump is operating on suction or discharge. A handwheel 34 is provided for quick removal of the valve member 2 after the slotted lever 9 has been displaced about its pivot point 35 which pivot point has a supporting surface on the other side of the housing for supporting the piston rod 7. The piston in the pump cylinder 15 is indicated at 37.

ln'operation the valve member as shown in FIG. 1 is in the suction position and material can pass from the hopper through apertures 32 and 33 into the pump cylinder 15. As the piston 37 moves towards the valve member 2 and the latter is rotated into the position shown in FIG. 2 the slurry is discharged through the valve member into the discharge line 13. In order to prevent material passing around the outside of the valve member the sealing members 3 are displaced in unison radially inwards to provide a seal and are retracted from that position whenever it is desired to rotate the valve member to either of its'two operating positions. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 the sealing members are shown in a position immediately after part rotation of the valvemember and before displacement of the piston 37 towards the valve member. As the piston is about to move the scaling members are displaced radially inwards to seal against the valve member.

Iclaim:

l. A multiway rotary distributor for a slurry pump comprising a housing having inlet and discharge apertures therein, a hollow cylindrical apertured valve member positioned for rotary movement within said housing and being spaced therefrom, said valve member including apertures positioned to cooperate with said inlet and discharge apertures in said housing said valve member being movable to correspond to suction or discharge positions with respect to said inlet and discharge apertures, and sealing means in said housing mounted for radial movement into engagement with said valve member for radial movement into engagement with said valve member wherein said sealing means when displaced radially inward seals the space between the housing and valve member and means for moving said sealing means out of sealing engagement with said valve member during rotation of said valve member.

2. one distributor according to claim 1 wherein said valve member includes a pair of end plates each having outwardly projecting stub shafts corresponding to the axis of rotation of said valve member, a gear member on one of said stub shafts and means including a rack engageable with said gear member for rotating said valve member, a groove in said other material. shafts and a slotted lever located on said groove on said shaft for locking said valve member axially with respect to said housing.

3. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein said housing is approximately of the same width as the valve member 4. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein said sealing means comprises three sealing members spaced equidistant around the housing.

5. A distributor according to claim 1 in which housing has an intake funnel said inlet aperture and discharge aperture being arranged in line and on opposite side of said intake funnel said inlet aperture including a flange with a conical abutment face for locating a pump cylinder in position.

6. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein said sealing members are formed of ELASTOMERIC material 7. A distributor according to claim 6 wherein each of said sealing members has a hollow space and including a source of fluid pressure operatively connected to said hollow space, a guide member, and a sleeve located in said guide member wherein said sealing member is displaced radiallytowards said valve member when fluid pressure is applied to said hollow space.

8. A distributor according to claim 6 wherein each of said elastomeric sealing members includes a reinforced end portion which contacts said valve member.

9. A distributor according to claim 6 wherein each of said hollow spaces in said sealing members are connected to a common fluid pressure system so that the sealingmembersare displacedin unison.

10. A slurry pump comprising, a housing having an inlet pipe and a discharge pipe located on opposite sides of said housing, an intake funnel connected to the top of said housing, a pump cylinder including a piston connected to said inlet pipe, a hollow cylindrical valve member positioned for rotary movement with said housing and being spaced therefrom, said valve member including apertures positioned to selectively connect said inlet pipe to one of said discharge pipes and said intake funnel, and elastomeric sealing members in said housing mounted for radial movement into sealing engagement with said valve member whereby said sealing members when displaced radially inwardly seal the space between the housing and valve member and means for moving said sealing means out of sealing engagement with said valve member during rotation 1'' said valve member.

11. The slurry pump according to claim wherein said valve member includes a pair of end plates each having outwardly projecting stub shafts corresponding to the axis of rotation of said valve member, a gear member on one of said stub shafts and means including a rack engageable with said gear member for rotating said valve member, a groove in said other of said shafts and a slotted lever located on said groove on said shaft for locking said valve member axially with respect to said housing 12. The slurry pump according to claim 10 wherein said housing is approximately of the same width as the valve member.

13. The slurry pump according to claim 10 wherein said sealing members comprise three sealing members spaced equidistant around the housing.

14. The slurry pump according to claim 10 wherein each of said sealing members has a hollow space and including a source of fluid pressure operatively connected to said hollow space, a guide member, and is sleeve located in said guide member wherein said sealing member is displaced radially towards said valve member when fluid pressure is applied to said hollow space. 

1. A multiway rotary distributor for a slurry pump comprising a housing having inlet and discharge apertures therein, a hollow cylindrical apertured valve member positioned for rotary movement within said housing and being spaced therefrom, said valve member including apertures positioned to cooperate with said inlet and discharge apertures in said housing said valve member being movable to correspond to suction or discharge positions with respect to said inlet and discharge apertures, and sealing means in said housing mounted for radial movement into engagement with said valve member for radial movement into engagement with said valve member wherein said sealing means when displaced radially inward seals the space between the housing and valve member and means for moving said sealing means out of sealing engagement with said valve member during rotation of said valve member.
 2. one distributor according to claim 1 wherein said valve member includes a pair of end plates each having outwardly projecting stub shafts corresponding to the axis of rotation of said valve member, a gear member on one of said stub shafts and means including a rack engageable with said gear member for rotating said valve member, a groove in said other material. shafts and a slotted lever located on said groove on said shaft for locking said valve member axially with respect to said housing.
 3. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein said housing is approximately of the same width as the valve member
 4. A distributor acCording to claim 1 wherein said sealing means comprises three sealing members spaced equidistant around the housing.
 5. A distributor according to claim 1 in which housing has an intake funnel said inlet aperture and discharge aperture being arranged in line and on opposite side of said intake funnel said inlet aperture including a flange with a conical abutment face for locating a pump cylinder in position.
 6. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein said sealing members are formed of ELASTOMERIC material
 7. A distributor according to claim 6 wherein each of said sealing members has a hollow space and including a source of fluid pressure operatively connected to said hollow space, a guide member, and a sleeve located in said guide member wherein said sealing member is displaced radially towards said valve member when fluid pressure is applied to said hollow space.
 8. A distributor according to claim 6 wherein each of said elastomeric sealing members includes a reinforced end portion which contacts said valve member.
 9. A distributor according to claim 6 wherein each of said hollow spaces in said sealing members are connected to a common fluid pressure system so that the sealing members are displaced in unison.
 10. A slurry pump comprising, a housing having an inlet pipe and a discharge pipe located on opposite sides of said housing, an intake funnel connected to the top of said housing, a pump cylinder including a piston connected to said inlet pipe, a hollow cylindrical valve member positioned for rotary movement with said housing and being spaced therefrom, said valve member including apertures positioned to selectively connect said inlet pipe to one of said discharge pipes and said intake funnel, and elastomeric sealing members in said housing mounted for radial movement into sealing engagement with said valve member whereby said sealing members when displaced radially inwardly seal the space between the housing and valve member and means for moving said sealing means out of sealing engagement with said valve member during rotation f said valve member.
 11. The slurry pump according to claim 10 wherein said valve member includes a pair of end plates each having outwardly projecting stub shafts corresponding to the axis of rotation of said valve member, a gear member on one of said stub shafts and means including a rack engageable with said gear member for rotating said valve member, a groove in said other of said shafts and a slotted lever located on said groove on said shaft for locking said valve member axially with respect to said housing
 12. The slurry pump according to claim 10 wherein said housing is approximately of the same width as the valve member.
 13. The slurry pump according to claim 10 wherein said sealing members comprise three sealing members spaced equidistant around the housing.
 14. The slurry pump according to claim 10 wherein each of said sealing members has a hollow space and including a source of fluid pressure operatively connected to said hollow space, a guide member, and is sleeve located in said guide member wherein said sealing member is displaced radially towards said valve member when fluid pressure is applied to said hollow space. 